If you were part of the Live from the Hubble Space Telescope journey
in any way, please, please, please do an evaluation of the project. We
have formal evaluations for both teachers and students available.

We are looking for input particularly from teachers who used the project
with students, but we would also like to hear from folks that tuned in
but didn't involve students. Maybe you were lurking to experience an electronic
field trip personally before involving students. Maybe you are a curriculum
developer, or someone studying to be a teacher, or someone else. Whatever
your circumstances, we would really like to hear from you.

The feedback we receive from you during this process is crucial for
two reasons. First, we need to better understand what you liked and didn't
like so that next year we can improve. Also, our funders like to know
that many people participated in the project; evaluations forms help us
demonstrate that.

We really hope you'll respond because you care about innovative Science
education. But just to push you speedily over the top into immediate action,
"Passport to Knowledge" is offering an incentive to respond!

Remember, we are interested in >your< evaluations, and those of your
students. For the first 500 folks who send us an evaluation, we will reward
your effort with a free science education CD (either Astronomy Village
or a Mars resource CD).

You can provide us with feedback in one of three separate ways:

Through Email (this is our preferred method): Within a few days, you
will receive an electronic copy of the evaluation. Follow the directions
provided to send back your thoughts.

Online using the Web: Look in these sections on the LHST web pages:
"Give Us Feedback", "Teachers' Lounge", "Kids' Corner"

Using snailmail: Fill in hard copies of the teacher and students evaluation
forms (from the $10 Teacher's Kit or from online), address an envelope,
lick a stamp and send it to us.

To prepare for next year's Live From Mars project, Passport to Knowledge
is holding a summer teacher workshop (with NASA JPL and The Planetary
Society as partners). The workshop is planned for July 19-21, 1996 in
Washington DC. NASA will pay for some of the attendees' travel expenses.
If you are interested in this special opportunity, please send Email immediately
to Jan Wee at wee_j@mail.uwlax.edu. We are in the midst of determining
participants, so if you'd like to be considered, ACT NOW!

For those that can't physically attend, we plan to cybercast the workshop
using a variety of online and TV technologies. So if you can't make it
to DC, stay tuned for more information about how you can virtually attend.

Last week we asked:
This question is focused on Mars, which is the subject of the next Passport
to Knowledge adventure. This project, called Live From Mars, promises
to be lots of fun for everybody. In that spirit we bring you this last
Challenge Question :

Let's say you have just been appointed Baseball Commissioner for Mars.
You would like the game to be similar in difficulty to the game as played
on Earth. With that in mind, how far back should you place the center
field fence (so that it is just as hard to hit a home run).

Assume that a center field fence on Earth is 410 feet from home plate.

Answer from Alan Federman:
As a first approximation, we need to look at the relevant equation: F
= MA Force is equal to Mass times Acceleration.

The acceleration we are interested in, is due to the gravity field of
Mars. Mars gravity is equal to 0.38 of Earth's, so as a first approximation,
the "A" on Mars is .38 * 980 cm/s/s = 370 cm/s/s. If the Force of Gravity
were the only effect on the ball, 410ft / 0.38 = 1079 feet (or 323 meters).

To make the game "play the same" Other factors need to be considered.
For example, atmospheric effects. The thin atmosphere means less air resistance
so balls will carry further. How fast people can run wearing space suits,
would also be a problem. Maybe changing the mass of the players and their
equipment is an option.

While rain-outs are not going to be a problem, games may need to be
called on account of wind or sandstorms!

Good Luck, Commish!

Answer from Bryan Glenn:
The old baseball Commish will have quite a problem on his hands placing
that fence in the right location. There are actually 2 variables he will
have to consider, gravitational differences and atmospheric differences.
Both will have a significant impact, but the latter will be much less
predictable that the first.

When gravitation is compared, Earth's would be +/- 978 cm/sec2, while
Mars' is estimated @ 371cm/sec2. 978/371= 2.64, so the 410 ft x 2.64 =
1081ft. That would seem a mighty drive for anyone, if the two atmospheres
were comparable. But they are anything but!

Earth's gravity and Venus' gravity are almost identical, but if we were
putting up a fence on Venus, a 410 ft fence might as well be 2 miles away.
Atmospheric pressures on Venus are 100 times that of Earth, so driving
a ball through that layer of carbon dioxide smog would require a mighty,
mighty bat.

Mars' atmospheric pressure is estimated at .005% that of Earth's. Again,
some quick calculations should yield the lower atmospheric drag on the
bat and ball to determine the "atmospheric" adjustment. But it is not
so simple; here again we cannot think of this in Earthly terms. The extreme
thinness of the atmosphere and the generally colder temperatures will
produce some very "Mars Only" considerations. This thin atmosphere is
easily varied by minor climatic events that would produce far less change
in Earth's heavier atmosphere. Martian temperature changes could easily
produce sudden gusty winds roaring over 100 miles/hour. As winter approaches
and more of the CO2 becomes crystallized at the poles, the already thin
atmosphere will become even thinner. Parks near the poles will play far
differently than those near the Martian equator. Home runs will be even
easier to hit then, unless the ball runs into an unexpected 200 mile/hr
blast of wind on its way to the fence!

Good luck commissioner. Your Martian game will add elements never dreamed
of back on good ol' Earth!